The Flex Diet: Design-Your-Own Weight Loss Plan

Beckerman, an Oregon cardiologist who is the heart expert at WebMD.com and MedHelp.org, takes a personalized approach to weight loss, claiming, "You can't treat everyone the same way even if they have the same problem." His plan is divided into three phases—a two-week period covering what readers can do "Today," three weeks of tips for "Every Day," and long-term options called "Your Way." "Today" ideas include finding a weight-loss buddy or joining a support group, as well as Internet solutions such as signing up for automatic Flex Diet texts, blogging, and joining Twitter. "Every Day" suggestions include eating beans, tofu, and fish once a week (recipes included), avoiding all-you-can-eat restaurants, and refraining from finishing off your child's dinner. In "Your Way," he offers a range of exercise choices and even suggests dining on unappetizing blue plates, eating only until 80% full, or ordering a kid's meal at fast food restaurants for better portion control. Wellness, Beckerman maintains, is about choice and change; he offers a flexible plan and a smorgasbord of weight-loss ideas that readers can customize to fit their taste and lifestyle. (Jan.)